Visiting Europe Might Be Cheaper Than You Think: Here's Proof!

Hands up if you've always wanted to visit Europe! Hands up again if the story always ends with something like, "Sigh...but I can't afford it!". You then put the idea on the back burner (possibly for years). When vacation time comes around, you opt to visit somewhere closer to home: Mexico, a Caribbean island, the USA, Canada, your grandma, because it's cheaper...or is it?

Gondola ride in Venice, Italy

A few years ago, as a Jamaican not earning much (especially compared to the euro), Europe always felt like a pipe dream. That was, until a friend of mine with a family member living in Germany, shared how he often travelled between Jamaica and Germany. He'd fly round trip, on an airline I had never heard of, for, wait for it...approximately US$500! "Impossible!" I thought. "That's like less than going to New York!!!" It seemed unbelievable, until I researched that airline, booked a flight and lived the experience for myself! Now, I am about to share that "secret" and others, that may help you realize that Europe may be much closer within your reach than you ever thought!

The proof of the savings (is in the eating)! Snacks on my first budget flight from Jamaica to Berlin on Eurowings (a full meal and a 2nd snack were also provided)

I will start off by saying this post is particularly for those living in the USA and the Caribbean. That's simply because I've had a bit of experience flying from, or organizing flights from these locations. Nonetheless, many of these principles can be applied universally. They may be of benefit to you, no matter where you're located. So here goes! To plan a budget-friendly trip to Europe, here are four tips that can go a long way!

Travelling on budget airline, TUI, between Brussels and Miami

1. Choose your airline carefully. When you think of traveling to Europe, which airlines come to mind? Which website would you check first? Those may not be the ones you should be checking. You may not know it, but there are budget airlines with direct routes to a European destination, departing from an airport accessible to you. For example: Condor flies from Montego Bay, Jamaica to Frankfurt, Germany. TUI flies from Miami to Brussels, Belgium, Lufthansa flies from Montego Bay and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to Frankfurt, Germany. The new Norse Atlantic flies from New York to Norway. These are just a few routes. For the best fares and other routes, go directly to the respective websites. Unfortunately, these options don't usually show up on popular online travel sites, which is why you've probably never heard of them. Other low cost airlines that fly between the Americas and Europe are Eurowings Discover, Edelweiss, Brussels Air and Iceland Air. The main catch with these carriers is that they may not fly as frequently as more popular airlines. Useful sites to find lower fares are Kiwi, Kayak, Skyscanner and Google Flights. I personally love Google Flights because you can see an overview of prices for months at a time and choose to fly on the cheaper dates. You can also assess whether the fares at the time of your search are typical, high or low to know when you're seeing a bargain or when it might be overpriced. Finally, there's the option to track your desired route, meaning Google Flights will email you when fares have fallen (or risen). If you don't mind emails, you can also sign up with email listservs that will provide deals with reduced flights. This includes: Scott's Cheap Flights, Secret Flying, Airfarewatchdog.

A flyer showing flight schedules between Jamaica-Europe, for budget-friendly airlines

2. The Time of Year is Important: a round trip between Jamaica and Germany can cost you €1,296 or it can cost you €620 (refer to images below). That's practically half the cost! What's the difference? It really is about what time of year you choose to travel. You're more likely to find cheaper fares in months such as January, February, March, May, September, and sometimes in November. Avoid April, summer months and December. The trick is, spot the cheaper fares first, then book your vacation leave for that time (even if it's not a typical time for vacation, such as in the summer).

3. Book Early- similar to the previous point, when you book can affect the bottom line greatly. Booking closer to your desired travel date will often mean higher prices. I recommended booking at least 3-6 months in advance for better fares. Booking ahead also allows you the time to track fare changes using a tool such as Google Flights. This can really help you secure a better deal, even with more popular airlines.

Book flights early to help reduce the cost of traveling!

4. Think Outside of the Box- you don't have to fly to a popular destination, such as Paris or London. Those locations are in demand, which will mean higher prices. Consider flying to Amsterdam (Netherlands), Oslo (Norway), Frankfurt (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), Warsaw (Poland). Once you are in Europe, it is easy and cheap to travel from country to country using budget airlines such as Ryanair, Wizzair, EasyJet, Jet2. Seriously, one way tickets can start as low as €12 (this excludes checked luggage and seat costs, but it's still super affordable)! You can also opt to take buses such as FlixBus or long distance trains between countries.

You may have never considered it, but flying to lesser frequented European ports such as Warsaw, Poland for cheaper flights can reduce airfare prices.

So there you go! I hope this helps, and I hope you get to wake up in your dream destination very soon! Sometimes I take travel tips for granted, assuming they're common knowledge and aren't worth sharing. With all the information available today, I'm not sure what is already widely known. So I'd love to hear from you in the comment section, which of these tips was the most helpful? Based on your feedback, I can know what other content might be helpful in future posts 😉